How to Tip Movers

A lot of people are confused about tipping when it comes to movers. But the fact of the matter is this- just like any other service industry, tipping movers is not required but of course highly appreciated.

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Professional Moving Packages

Are you planning to hire movers?

One of the first decisions that people face when it comes to moving is the choice between doing the move themselves or hiring professional movers to do it for them. For some it’s all a matter of whether they have a budget or not but of course your considerations should go deeper than that.

So to help you in making your decision, let’s analyze professional moving packages and what they entail.

What do their services include?

The most common type of professional moving packages are from full service movers who can help out in basically every part of the moving process. They can assist clients in packing their things and loading them into the truck, then shipping and transporting them, even up to the unloading and unpacking process. If you’re after convenience and additional manpower, this is the best way to go.

When you hire professional movers not only do you get extra manpower and muscle, you also get the help of professionals who know move stuff for a living. This means that you’ll get people who know the right ways on how to pack furniture, and how to carry large boxes safely into the moving truck.

So again, if you don’t want to break a sweat (or break your back for that matter), hiring professional movers is probably a good idea.

What are the prices based on?

Basically, moving companies will first offer you a quotation for your move based on specific details that you provide: date of the move, distance of the new location, and weight of the total shipment.

So to put it simply, the further away your new house is, and the more stuff you want to ship out, the higher the price is going to be and vice versa.

With regards to the date of the move, peak season moves during the summer months tend to cost a little more then moves done in other months of the year.

Here is a Sample Computation and Costing for an Interstate Move

The moving details:

2-bedroom apartment

Crofton, Maryland to New York, New York

Distance of about 335.4 km

Estimated transit time: 2 days

The estimated prices:

Initial Price for Door to Door Delivery: $1,102

Price for Terminal to Terminal Delivery: $476

Optional Monthly Storage Fee: $395 per month

Other Charges

As you can see from above, the price is just an initial rough estimate based on the distance and number of rooms. However, this can change if you get an on-site estimation before, during and after the move.

You should also be mindful of additional charges that professional movers can present you with. These may include:

Accessorial charges – A lump sum of extra charges which may or may not include packing and unpacking, furniture disassembling, cost for packing materials, and so on. Companies can charge $100 or so for moving supplies (boxes, tape, wardrobe boxes, etc.). Some charge $30-50 for assembling a standard cabinet.

Flight charge – When movers have to carry your boxes up or down a flight of stairs. People who live in apartment buildings should take note of this right away. The cost for this is approximately $60 per flight of stairs.

Auxiliary charges – This is based on the extra effort and equipment needed if your house doesn’t have an accessible driveway, or if their moving truck isn’t allowed to enter your neighbourhood. You can get charged anywhere between $90-$120 for every 75 feet covered between the truck and your door.

Elevator fees – If the movers need to use an elevator, you could get charged a one-time fee of $75.

Handling bulky items – Oversized and extremely heavy items will be charged additionally. If for example you have a grand piano that needs a crane in order to be taken down, this will set you back a minimum of $800.

Expedited Service – A higher premium that some companies ask for a faster and guaranteed delivery time.

Storage Fees – Some movers can rent out storage facilities for their clients but our advice is to ask first if they have a freebie for clients. Some companies offer free storage for up to 30 days in case your new house isn’t ready for occupancy yet. However, exceeding that time period will definitely cost you. An average vault of 1500-lb capacity could get charged around $50 to $60 a month.

Extra stop charges – Requests for extra stops, drop-offs or pick-ups will cost you a minimum of $75 per stop.

So again, if you’re planning to hire professional movers and get moving packages, you have to be prepared to shell out some serious dough. However, with all the convenience and assurance you’ll be getting, it can really be considered as a sound investment as well.